Final answer:
The photon energies of 12.1eV, 12.2eV, and 9.2eV mentioned by the student are related to transitions between energy levels within a hydrogen atom as explained by the Bohr model. These specific energies do not match known transitions for hydrogen, suggesting either an unusual situation or a departure from the idealized model.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the energies of photons emitted by excited atomic hydrogen. The three mentioned photon energies, 12.1eV, 12.2eV, and 9.2eV, correspond to transitions of electrons in a hydrogen atom between specific energy levels. To identify which transitions could result in these photon energies, one might look at the Bohr model of the hydrogen atom and use the Rydberg formula for calculating energy differences between levels.
In the Bohr model, the energy levels of a hydrogen atom are quantized and are represented by the formula E_n = -13.6 eV / n^2, where 'n' is the principal quantum number which can take positive integer values corresponding to the various energy levels.
Given that these energies are not matching any specific transitions in the well-studied hydrogen spectrum, they might either be due to some form of experimental error, non-standard conditions, or involve more complex interactions beyond the scope of the simple Bohr model. However, if this scenario pertained to a hypothetical atom as described in reference to Bohr's theory, with photon energies represented as multiples of some base energy 'E' (2E, 3E, 5E), we could deduce the full set of energy levels for such an atom using the energy difference between the levels. This example demonstrates how quantum phenomena lead to discrete energy levels and photon energies.